tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51621865615583498972019-05-05T01:20:27.794-07:00gizthebizMarketing and Business ConsultantChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.comBlogger312125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-68235852241435762692019-04-29T05:48:00.001-07:002019-04-29T05:48:23.913-07:005 Key SEO Tactics and Trends in 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Looking ahead to this year’s upcoming online marketing trends can be daunting and exciting in equal measure. Visualising your success and planning your strategy, though also accepting you are not in for an easy ride.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D1r3KW8x1ag/ViIReqeyw5I/AAAAAAAABa8/Y-7_acM9AxgYuIPmAj1T4crwufzrF0YVQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/seo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D1r3KW8x1ag/ViIReqeyw5I/AAAAAAAABa8/Y-7_acM9AxgYuIPmAj1T4crwufzrF0YVQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/seo5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Nevertheless, the better idea you have of what is to come, the better your chance of making it work in your favour. With this in mind, here is a brief overview of the five key SEO tactics and trends to keep in mind going into 2019:<br /><br /><b>1. Increased Visibility Competition</b><br />The first entry is also the most obvious and arguably the most important of all. Every year, visibility competition grows at its fastest rate. And 2019 looks to be no exception. The search engines are evolving and space at the top is becoming ever more confined. In online marketing stakes, the phrase<br />survival of the fittest” has never been more appropriate.<br /><b><br /></b><b>2. Old School SEO Tactics Will Lose Value&nbsp;</b><br />You will still need to have a strategy with your on-page SEO, but relying exclusively on old-school methods is just not going to cut it in 2019. Instead, it will be more about the all-round customer experience and the level to which you can foster a sense of genuine engagement with your web audience. On-page SEO will always play a role, it is simply a case of accepting you cannot rely on it alone.<br /><br /><b>3. Growth of Voice Search</b><br />As far as the industry watchers are concerned, more than half of all online searches will use voice search by 2020. Which is only a year away. Which should be a concern for anybody who is yet to give any thought to voice search optimisation whatsoever. Incredibly, the most popular voice assistants on the market today have achieved an understanding accuracy of more than 90% on average. If you are not yet giving thought to voice search, you are in danger of falling behind.<br /><br /><b>4. Mobile-Optimised Websites Will Gain Value</b><br />What this means is that Google and the other major search engines have begun the process of assessing pages and websites firstly from a mobile perspective. This essentially means that if you want your website to rank higher in 2019, you will need to give mobile SEO more time and focus. If you don’t, your content will not add as much value as it could and your SEO performance will suffer.<br /><br /><b>5. There Is Life Beyond Google</b><br />Last but not least, it has never been more important to realise the fact that Google is not where the buck starts and stops when it comes to SEO. It is the biggest and most important by all means, but it is not the only search engine at all. What is more, Bing has started gaining significant traction by occupying a bigger share of the search market in 2018. Therefore, you may want to stop putting all your SEO eggs in the same proverbial basket.<br /><div><br /></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-68759335341879185942019-04-03T02:02:00.000-07:002019-04-03T02:02:37.459-07:00Six SEO Myths to Ignore <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QuRei-RNngY/UJUM7Y71lYI/AAAAAAAABjA/CA7Il9cOmOoa8IzYaNXbcbH2IPBnbDHTwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/seo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QuRei-RNngY/UJUM7Y71lYI/AAAAAAAABjA/CA7Il9cOmOoa8IzYaNXbcbH2IPBnbDHTwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/seo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>SEO may have been around for decades now, but the concept remains a subject of confusion for millions of businesses worldwide. Every year, we’re bombarded with a completely fresh set of ‘rules’ and ‘best practices’ that can supposedly maximise the value of an SEO strategy.<br /><br />Not to mention, all manner of myths and untruths – some of which are downright dangerous.<br /><br />So just to illustrate how things are looking from a 2019 perspective, here’s a brief rundown of six dangerous SEO myths that are still doing the rounds with gusto right now:<br /><br /><b>1. Quality content alone is more than enough</b><br /><br />First up, you cannot and will not achieve SEO glory without plenty of outstanding content. Nevertheless, you cannot run an effective SEO campaign on quality content alone. Content matters – and matters a lot – but is nonetheless just one of many components you need to address. Try to avoid putting all of your eggs in the same proverbial basket.<br /><br /><br /><b>2. It’s all about the keywords</b><br /><br />Likewise, getting too bogged down with keywords in general isn’t a good idea. Keywords are a critical element of the successful SEO strategy, but cramming in as many as possible and damaging the quality of your content in doing so is a risky tactic. Not to mention, the kind of tactic that doesn’t tend to curry favour these days with any of the major search engines. <br /><br /><b>3. More pages = better rankings</b><br /><br />Contrary to popular belief, more pages will not necessarily guarantee more prominent SERP positioning. Unless the pages add genuine value and quality to your website, they won’t do a great deal for your SEO profile at all. Creating more pages simply for the sake of it is a common tactic, though one that’s unlikely to do you any favours.<br /><br /><b>4. Pictures are pointless</b><br /><br />Just because search engine spiders cannot yet crawl the content of website pictures doesn’t mean they’re without value. The reason being that all major search engines now take into account various aspects of the user experience, which includes the provision of a rich mixture of media. What’s more, SEO-rich file names and alt-tags can and should be used to your advantage.<br /><br /><b>5. Mobile focus is overrated</b><br /><br />If anything, it’s the exact opposite. Evidence suggests that not nearly enough business owners worldwide are yet giving mobile focus the attention it deserves. With mobile web traffic having comfortably overtaken desktop traffic, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the importance of mobile SEO focus. <br /><br /><b>6. It’s not necessary to hire help</b><br /><br />Last but not least, it’s highly unlikely that any in-house effort that lacks extensive specialist expertise is going to get the job done properly. It just isn’t going to happen. Contemporary SEO is an infinitely more complex and challenging concept than it was even just a couple of years ago. You can’t make things up as you go along and expect to get by – nor can you rely on a half-cooked strategy to deliver positive results. If you’re serious about making the most of your SEO strategy, hiring help comes highly recommended. </div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-70455695856001896152019-03-20T03:30:00.000-07:002019-03-20T03:30:14.830-07:00Smart Content Marketing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to content marketing is the following:<br /><br />Every web user presently online around the globe is online for a specific reason.<br /><br />There is a surprising number of businesses that assume that every second web user is online with no specific purpose in mind whatsoever. Drifting around with no requirements or intention, thus wide open to their tempting offers and suggestions. The reality, however, is much different.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABkQ/ykZBkN_DkQcrwen2Q3KFiBEIIkmwhPTMACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/webcontent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABkQ/ykZBkN_DkQcrwen2Q3KFiBEIIkmwhPTMACPcBGAYYCw/s320/webcontent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />Whether it is for socialising, entertainment purposes, seeking services or researching products of any kind, there is always a reason for going online. This in turn means that to some extent at least, there is something specific every person in question is looking for.<br /><br />Exactly who fulfils their requirements and expectations comes down to one simple thing and one thing alone – quality content.<br /><br /><b>Value and Quality</b><br /><br />Online webmasters and businesses in general can throw all the hype they want at their target audiences. But without genuine value and quality to back it up, it is an exercise in futility. Above everything else, the crucial thing to remember when implementing a content marketing strategy is that web users will always respond best to websites that are providing them with some sort of help.<br /><br />It can be help filling some minutes with quality entertainment, help with researching services and products, help with buying services and products and so on. Web users in general like to know that after each engagement or experience with an online entity, they come away better off.<br /><br />Which is exactly why the most successful content is that which delivers benefits and value of some kind. How-to guides, tutorials, infographics or pretty much anything unique that can’t be found elsewhere.<br /><br />Web marketers who exist for the sole reason to separate consumers from their hard earned money rarely find success – those who try to satisfy the needs of their audience usually perform much better.<br /><br /><b>The Psychology of Selling</b><br /><br />Studies and the experience of millions of online businesses worldwide remind us that strong customer relationships could be forged if you help them solve a problem. If you’re willing to offer support and advice that is relevant, useful, transparent and accessible, you will stand a greater chance of standing out as a leader and authority in your field.<br /><br />This means that next time they need any support or help along the same lines, they will most likely gravitate in your direction.<br /><br />In a way, it is the classic example of selling without really selling in practice. Rather than bombarding your audience members with marketing materials, you are instead focusing on what they really want. And by doing so, you stand out from the crowd as an authority in your field.<br /><br />So rather than focusing on and investing in the kind of hype that will most likely lead to nothing, think about how your business and your website could provide valuable and genuine help, for the benefit of your web users.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-66254300074457562642019-03-02T00:54:00.000-08:002019-03-02T00:54:20.042-08:00Why Buying Web Traffic Is Rarely a Good Idea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />All websites could benefit from a little more traffic. Irrespective of how successful your online business may be, more is always better. After all, no right-minded business owner would happily turn down the prospect of additional sales.<br /><br />With competition in all sectors at an all-time high, businesses worldwide are resorting to various weird and wonderful tactics to boost web traffic. One of which being to buy traffic in bulk.<div><br /></div><div>&nbsp; <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J0GbIBO8w7I/XHpElKDobzI/AAAAAAAABrY/iup5scmCu541DMV5rA7rV9SgDoZOaz8FACLcBGAs/s1600/traffic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J0GbIBO8w7I/XHpElKDobzI/AAAAAAAABrY/iup5scmCu541DMV5rA7rV9SgDoZOaz8FACLcBGAs/s320/traffic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />On paper, it sounds like a relatively simple tactic with obvious appeal. You hand your cash over to a service provider, who in turn sends a predetermined number of visitors your way. It could be 5,000, 50,000 or even 500,000 visitors – a quick, easy and affordable boost that could make a huge difference.<br /><br />Or at least, so it seems.<br /><br />Think of it this way – if it was really so easy and effective to buy web traffic, wouldn’t we all be doing it? Or to put it another way, if it was possible to buy all the web traffic you need at an affordable price, why waste money on conventional marketing and advertising?<br /><br />The short answer is the obvious answer – it isn’t quite as easy as it seems. In fact, it’s comparatively rare for buying web traffic to be an advisable course of action.<br /><br />The following four reasons going some way to explain why:<br /><br /><b>1. Zero targeting</b><br /><br />First of all, there’s nothing to gain by sending a whole bunch of entirely untargeted traffic to your website. Sending hundreds of thousands of visitors your way is all well and good, but what if not a single one of these visitors have any real interest in what it is you do? Unqualified prospects are about as much use to your business as no prospects whatsoever. Hence, any traffic you buy that isn’t meticulously targeted may prove to have zero value.<br /><br /><b>2. Heavy penalties </b><br /><br />In most instances, those who sell bulk web traffic provide their services by way of automated bots. Or to put it another way, the visitors that come your way aren’t in fact visitors at all. At least, not the kinds of human visitors of any real value to your business. Not only does this mean little to no positive impact, it also leaves you and your website wide open to heavy penalties. When the likes of Google and the other major search engines detect these kinds of tactics, they’re not in the habit of letting them go unpunished.<br /><br /><b>3. Scam potential </b><br /><br />This is also an area of the digital marketing spectrum that is rife with scam tactics. Find yourself at the mercy of a substandard service provider and the consequences could be catastrophic.<br /><br /><b>4. No guarantees </b><br />Along with all this, there are absolutely no guarantees that you won’t be wasting every penny of your investment. They may promise to deliver hundreds of thousands of profitable visitors, but there are no guarantees they’ll deliver even one. And if you’re unhappy with their services, there’s precisely nothing you can do about it.<br /><br />If you want to drive more visitors to your website, there are hundreds of safer and more effective avenues to explore. Nevertheless, if you do decide to go ahead and buy website traffic in bulk, you need to be extremely careful when choosing a provider.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-4130438472211533152019-01-12T03:39:00.002-08:002019-01-12T03:39:58.045-08:00The Five W’s (and One H) of Perfect Product Descriptions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />By its very nature, the term ‘product description’ is misleading. The reason being that one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to simply describe your products, rather than communicating their primary selling points.<br /><br />When you think about it, you can describe almost any product in minute detail, without describing any of its benefits or applications. Realistically therefore, product descriptions shouldn’t be used to describe your products, but instead sell them by way of merit.<br /><br />One of the best ways of penning perfect product descriptions is to focus on the Five W’s approach. Call it cliché, but it’s a consistently effective way of ensuring you communicate everything that matters to the prospective buyer.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1wiSFGXWTWs/XDnSAn7porI/AAAAAAAABqM/VXlhX6txncQNPLRzfdWGflg1s8o5JHX3ACLcBGAs/s1600/fabric%2Blabels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="347" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1wiSFGXWTWs/XDnSAn7porI/AAAAAAAABqM/VXlhX6txncQNPLRzfdWGflg1s8o5JHX3ACLcBGAs/s320/fabric%2Blabels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />Irrespective of what it is you’re selling and who you’re attempting to sell it to, these are the Five W’s (and One H) that can ensure you get the job done right:<br /><br /><b>WHO</b><br /><br />First up, you need to clearly communicate who the product has been designed for. What kind of demographic are you targeting? What are the interests, expectations and priorities of your ideal buyer? Your product description should be tailored to both appeal to your ideal customer, while clearly communicating the benefits of the product to their demographic.<br /><br /><b>WHAT</b><br /><br />You’ll then need to give a concise yet compelling account of what it is your product does and what sets it apart from comparable products on the market. Along with its basic attributes – features, dimensions and so on – your product description should communicate the purpose and value of the product in question.<br /><br /><b>WHERE</b><br /><br />Slightly simpler, this refers to information regarding where the product can or should be used. Has it been designed for use in a very specific scenario, or is the ability to use it anywhere and at any time one of its selling points? Help build a mental picture of the product in use for your customers, by communicating where they’ll be using it if they buy it.<br /><br /><b>WHEN</b><br /><br />The same also goes for when – what would be the ideal time for using your product and why? Has it been designed to maximise convenience or enjoyment while travelling? Is it an everyday household essential they’ll be using on a daily basis? Or is it something altogether more special for an altogether more special occasion?<br /><br /><b>WHY</b><br /><br />The last of the W’s is also the most important – why should they purchase your product? What will it do to improve their life? Does it solve any specific problems? What makes it both unique and superior to anything else currently on the market? <br /><br /><b>HOW</b><br /><br />Last up, the nature of the product you’re selling will determine whether you need to detail how it works. In the case of technology and gadgets in general, at least a brief overview of its method of operation could be useful. <br /><br />And there you have it – five simple steps for coming up with concise yet convincing product descriptions. Once again, it’s a good idea to get out of the habit of simply describing the product itself, focusing instead on its benefits and unique selling points.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-53702391034745475532018-11-24T02:38:00.001-08:002018-11-24T02:38:55.611-08:00Yes, You Do Have Time for Creative Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABkQ/ykZBkN_DkQcrwen2Q3KFiBEIIkmwhPTMACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/webcontent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABkQ/ykZBkN_DkQcrwen2Q3KFiBEIIkmwhPTMACPcBGAYYCw/s320/webcontent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Some writers insist that their busy schedules get in the way of their creativity. Rather than focusing their efforts on quality content, they’re instead left with little to no time to write anything at all. Hence, the copy they come up with isn’t exactly their best work. <br /><br />The thing is though, if creative writing is part and parcel of your profession, you need to make time for it. Irrespective of how busy your schedule may be, there are countless avenues to explore for freeing up a little time here and there.<br /><br /><br />Three of which you’ll find outlined below:<br /><br />1. Cut Down on Social Media Time<br /><br />If you’re anything like the vast majority of people these days, you’re probably spending far too much time on social media. Even if it’s only a few minutes here and there, it can quickly add up to several hours per week. Hours wasted doing nothing productive whatsoever.<br /><br />It’s not a case of quitting social media entirely, but instead focusing on a strategic cut-down. Particularly during your working hours, when these kinds of distractions should be avoided entirely. As important as it is for you to stay connected, you can always check those non-business messages a little later. Facebook isn’t going anywhere, so there’s no rush!<br /><br />2. Always Carry a Notebook<br /><br />Why rely exclusively on technology to enable your craft? It can be far better and more enjoyable to go back to basics, carrying a notebook and making use of any spare time that comes your way. If it takes you 30 minutes by bus to get to work, that’s five hours a week you could dedicate to creative writing. All without the usual distractions creeping into the equation.<br /><br />It’s also worth remembering how therapeutic traditional writing can be. Rather than straining your eyes staring at a screen, give the paper option a shot and see how it works for you. You never know when and where inspiration might strike – Harry Potter started out with nothing more than a pen and a napkin!<br /><br />3. Schedule Creative Writing Time<br /><br />Last up, if creative writing is part of your job, surely it’s worth bringing it into your schedule. If it’s a genuine priority, don’t simply cast it to one side until time permits. Bring creative writing into your schedule, ideally getting into some kind of effective routine. <br /><br />If your current schedule is already full, think about which duties are more or less important than creative writing. Even if you simply slot 20 minutes of creative writing time into your lunch break, that’s more than one and a half hours per week. Or, more than 75 hours per year. A small price to pay to get those creative juices flowing and ensure your talent doesn’t go to waste.<br /><br />In a nutshell therefore, it’s always possible to find at least some time to dedicate to creative writing. It’s simply a case of weighing up your priorities and focusing on what really matters. <div><br /></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-16382879382787273382018-11-07T04:55:00.001-08:002018-11-07T04:55:44.231-08:00Five Steps for More Engaging Infographics <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The fact that infographics are so uniquely powerful and influential really is a godsend. From a business perspective, being able to pack so much concise and relevant information into such a small marketing material is no less than fantastic. Not to mention the fact that close to half of all people are known to respond better to visual information than plain text alone.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UBXtu3Qt6IQ/W-Lgrbcb1-I/AAAAAAAABpY/o1S4OpigvHslV7o-ahX-0TnX502FGDBzgCLcBGAs/s1600/videomarketing4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="568" height="224" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UBXtu3Qt6IQ/W-Lgrbcb1-I/AAAAAAAABpY/o1S4OpigvHslV7o-ahX-0TnX502FGDBzgCLcBGAs/s320/videomarketing4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />So you understand and acknowledge the power and potential of outstanding infographics. But how to go about creating them?<br /><br />Well, the good news is that regardless of what line of business you happen to be in, there are certain standards and conventions to stick with. In fact, work in accordance with the following five guidelines and your next infographic could be your most successful to date:<br /><br />1. Identify your message and stick with it<br /><br />As is the case with any good story, you need to first consider what your overall message is. Just like when penning a blog post, consider the purpose of the infographic and the relevant theme. Once you’ve made these decisions, you need to make sure you stick with them from start to finish. The closer you remain tied to the primary message and theme, the more convincing and engaging the infographic will be.<br /><br />2. Work hard on your headline<br /><br />If you want anybody to bother reading the content of your infographic, you first need to create a compelling headline. Once again, this is no different to the usual standard with any other kind of content creation. The key lies in providing the reader with a good idea what the infographic is all about, though without giving too much away. The idea being that they are compelled to continue reading the rest of its content from top to bottom. If you can create a sense of intrigue, you’re golden. <br /><br />3. Keep it simple<br /><br />The more complicated an infographic appears at first glance, the less likely anyone is to bother reading it. It’s a bit like when you come across an unbroken passage of text, as opposed to a passage punctuated by imagery and other breaks. Whether it’s too many visuals, too much text or simply too much of everything crammed into a small space, clutter and crowding can be extremely off-putting. Focus on the basics and keep things simple.<br /><br />4. Light-hearted visuals<br /><br />Although there are exceptions to the rule, most infographics benefit from visuals that are relatively light hearted. As you’ve probably noted by now, infographics tend to contain visuals that are somewhat cartoonish, entertaining and highly simplified. They very rarely contain complex, formal or distracting visuals of any kind.<br /><br />5. Push and promote <br /><br />Last but not least, perhaps the single most important rule when it comes to creating effective infographics is to push and promote them as vigorously as possible. It’s best to look at infographics in the same way you would view a press release. It represents a marketing material in its own right, but nonetheless needs to be marketed to have any real value. Always keep shareability in mind when deciding on the content for your infographics and do your best to get the process of sharing underway.<br /></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-69025969891342550212018-10-17T01:29:00.001-07:002018-10-17T01:29:33.326-07:00Confirmed: Speed Matters More than Ever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If there’s one thing every Internet user today has in common, it’s growing impatience. Even if some have at least a little more patience than others, impatience among web users is growing like never before. For the most part, it is taken for granted that both your website and all of its internal pages will load in full at the snap of a finger. If they don’t, your prospects turn around, head elsewhere and perhaps never return.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0W0kGVhlvIY/W8byyrmjRyI/AAAAAAAABpE/Sk2Eg5lwXDMyKERAhBSqoyQF3em9YSwCACLcBGAs/s1600/stopwatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0W0kGVhlvIY/W8byyrmjRyI/AAAAAAAABpE/Sk2Eg5lwXDMyKERAhBSqoyQF3em9YSwCACLcBGAs/s320/stopwatch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />Now, it’s natural for those on the business side of the equation to simply throw accusations at impatient customers, arguing that it’s unrealistic to expect flawless performance at all times. Unfortunately, the customer is always right. Or at least, the customer determines whether and to what extent you will succeed, therefore you need to do what they want, when they want it.<br /><br />According to one of the more recent studies carried out by Kissmetrics, almost half of all consumers now expect websites and internal pages to fire up in no more than 2 seconds. In addition, approximately 40% stated that they will happily walk away from a website (perhaps permanently) if they are forced to wait more than 3 seconds for it to load. <br /><br />But here’s the real kicker – it’s not only about the huge increase in bounce rates slow loading times tend to trigger. Instead, research has shown that even when customers wait those extra few seconds and stick around, slow loading times can have a remarkable effect on conversion rates.<br /><br />…and not in a good way.<br /><br />Extensive surveys have shown that when page loading times are delayed by as little as one second, it can lead to a quite extraordinary 7% reduction in conversions. In the case of Amazon – which is admittedly rather on the large side compared to most online businesses – it is estimated that approximately $1.6 billion is lost every year, simply due to slow page loading times. It’s not as if your own business is likely to incur these kinds of heavy losses, but still – can you really afford to throw away 7% of possible conversions, simply due to basic issues with page loading times?<br /><br />The answer…of course you can’t!<br /><br />From a website developer’s perspective, the most frustrating thing about poor page loading times is the way in which they can usually be addressed relatively easily. While it’s not to say that there will not be some time, effort and expenditure involved, it often takes little more than a few simple tweaks behind the scenes to get things up to speed…literally. Whether it’s your current hosting service provider, your site’s coding, issues with its content or anything else across the board, there are various ways and means by which you can and therefore should work to improve its performance.<br /><br />Given the fact that so many businesses are still allowing themselves to fall behind the curve by operating sluggish and inconsistent websites, this is actually a comparatively quick, easy and affordable way to get ahead.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-85113723970733223702018-10-02T03:39:00.000-07:002018-10-02T03:39:53.951-07:00Negative SEO: Protecting Yourself <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Statistically speaking, your likelihood of being directly affected by negative SEO is actually relatively low. Nevertheless, it does exist, does happen and does have the potential to wreak havoc with your business.<br /><br />In the simplest of terms, negative SEO refers to anything done by outside parties to either harm your rankings or redirect traffic elsewhere. It’s sometimes used to hijack traffic for material gains, though can also be used for no reason other than to destroy your reputation and business. And as it can be very difficult to reverse once you’ve been attacked, the best approach is to keep your eye out for anything suspicious and protect your business on an on-going basis.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9FKS7r-Xig/W7M8Cwwc1lI/AAAAAAAABoo/vxxAjrJADBAaLKzRDygqunyw2tnhcb8lgCLcBGAs/s1600/seocleanup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9FKS7r-Xig/W7M8Cwwc1lI/AAAAAAAABoo/vxxAjrJADBAaLKzRDygqunyw2tnhcb8lgCLcBGAs/s320/seocleanup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br /><b>Perform Regular Link Audits</b><br /><br />For example, link audits represent an important SEO tool in general and can be very helpful in detecting negative SEO. You basically need to keep a constant eye on the links pointing toward your site and those your site features. Should any turn out to be spammy, fraudulent or invalid, your SEO prowess could take a hit. <br /><br /><b>Monitor Site Speed</b><br /><br />Never forget that these days, Google pays close attention to the speed and overall performance of your website when determining its SERP rankings. Which is precisely why many negative SEO attacks target overall speed and performance, which can and often do make a big difference in terms of rankings.<br /><br /><b>Check for Scraped Content</b><br /><br />This basically refers to the all-too common process of content being directly lifted from your website and published word for word elsewhere. The attacker may then subsequently claim that the copy is their own, which will lead to your site being penalised for duplicating their content. If not, the fact that the copy is repeated any number of times in various locations could automatically affect your rankings. <br /><br /><b>Check Google My Business</b><br /><br />The occasional negative review tends to be both inevitable and potentially beneficial for your business. However, if it seems as if you are unfairly and inexplicably attracting negative press from all over the place, it could be that someone is trying to do your reputation damage with fake reviews. All of which is precisely why it is important to keep tabs on your online reputation at all times.<br /><br /><b>Upgrade Your Security</b><br /><br />Last but not least, the single most effective way of protecting yourself from the kind of negative SEO that happens directly on your website itself is to upgrade the security of your site. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t always blatantly obvious when hackers have made their way through some kind of back door and done their bidding with your coding. Quite the opposite, as with negative SEO it’s more a case of sneaking in, wreaking havoc and making it as difficult as possible for the changes to be detected. So for obvious reasons, it simply makes sense to protect yourself to the highest possible extent.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-39212756691315489622018-09-06T06:12:00.001-07:002018-09-06T06:12:58.982-07:00Five Ways to Wreck Your SERP Score with Google <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It seems the one constant in the whole digital marketing landscape over recent years has been the importance of SEO. Or more specifically, achieving solid SERP performance. And as far as the immediate outlook is concerned at least, it doesn’t look as if things are about to change anytime soon.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkpTZXWStjg/W5Enpb70ohI/AAAAAAAABoQ/dm-9_r0Ob2swpFXvCkMo5gZqRfuYl2l3QCLcBGAs/s1600/seo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkpTZXWStjg/W5Enpb70ohI/AAAAAAAABoQ/dm-9_r0Ob2swpFXvCkMo5gZqRfuYl2l3QCLcBGAs/s320/seo5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />That said, the one thing that has changed beyond recognition is the list of errors and oversights that can get you in trouble. Reaching the top spot with Google has never been more difficult – doing yourself a disservice has never been simpler. Which is exactly what a surprising number of online businesses are doing right now.<br /><br />To just look at things from a slightly alternative perspective, here’s a rundown of five guaranteed ways to wreck your SERP score with Google:<br /><br /><b>1. Anything black hat</b><br /><br />First up, there’s really no sense in listing the various examples of black hat SEO techniques you should be avoiding. The reason being that all black hat SEO should be avoided at all costs. Even if it’s the kind of thing you’d once get away with, or genuinely believe you’ve hidden sufficiently from view. These days, there are no short cuts to positive SEO whatsoever – trying to find them will only ever land you in hot water.<br /><br /><b>2. Duplicate content</b><br /><br />As time goes by, the rules in terms of duplicate content are also becoming more and more severe. Bad enough when there’s duplicate content within the same site, even worse when the same content appears in different locations. Whatever your excuse, Google sees duplicate content as nothing more than lazy and of poor quality for web users. Even if you don’t agree, you still need to abide by the rules.<br /><br /><b>3. Too much guest blogging</b><br /><br />You know how guest blogging can be a great way of an invaluable and abundant backlink? Well, as far as Google is concerned, too much of a good thing is bad. Just to clarify, guest blogging should in no way be considered black hat or inadvisable. It can actually be enormously beneficial and positive. Nevertheless, any kind of duplicate, poor-quality or spun content used for guest blogging is exactly the kind of thing that could reflect bad on you. Both in terms of your reputation and your SERP score.<br /><b><br />4. Site performance issues</b><br /><br />The problem with this particular consideration is that it didn’t use to be a consideration at all. At one time, you could get away with a website that wasn’t particularly speedy, reliable or easy to navigate. These days, all these things and everything else to do with performance are taken into account and considered accordingly. Which in turn means that even if your site’s content is no less than outstanding, it could be rendered redundant if site performance isn’t up to scratch. <br /><br /><b>5. Poor security </b><br /><br />Last but not least, there’s nothing quite like being kicked when you’re already down. It’s not as if getting hacked isn’t bad enough. Nevertheless, evidence of hacking suggests that your website may have serious security issues – something that doesn’t go down well with Google. The long and short of it therefore being that as far as security is concerned, there’s no such thing as overprotecting your website.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-7113627721726457972018-08-16T08:19:00.001-07:002018-08-16T08:19:50.910-07:00A Monthly Checklist to Keep Your Blog On Track <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Give your business blog appropriate time and attention and it will reward you for your efforts. By contrast, neglect it and it may bring you nothing but bother.<br /><br />The problem being that while so many business blogs start out great, their respective ‘owners’ sooner or later begin letting things slip. It becomes less of a priority, quality begins to slide and the benefits it once brought to the business slowly but surely disappear.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VoJXuwNmLs/W3WV90Zw_gI/AAAAAAAABn8/XgcdCRyn3gclXc0bQbL4yNr1oLmRV3rbACLcBGAs/s1600/bloggingimage6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="800" height="288" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VoJXuwNmLs/W3WV90Zw_gI/AAAAAAAABn8/XgcdCRyn3gclXc0bQbL4yNr1oLmRV3rbACLcBGAs/s320/bloggingimage6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />Which is why it’s a good idea to perform on-going health checks on your blog, just to ensure it and you are doing your jobs properly. It doesn’t have to be difficult – simply get into the habit of working with the following monthly checklist and you’ll find it much easier to keep your blog on track:<br /><br /><b>Interpret Data</b><br /><br />First of all, owning and operating a blog – even a successful one – isn’t enough. If your blog is successful, you need to find out why and capitalise on whatever it is you are doing right. If it isn’t successful, you need to know what you are doing wrong and change things accordingly. Or if it’s ok but could certainly be improved, the same applies. Reviewing analytics and working with the data you collect should represent one of the most important core duties in the operation of your business blog. If it doesn’t, you are effectively grasping blindly in the dark and have no idea how or why your blog is performing as it is.<br /><br /><b>Rank Entries</b><br /><br />When dealing with data, take a good look through your most successful entries for the month or year to date, in order to rank them in terms of performance. It’s crucially important to keep a log of your successes and failures in terms of entries and headlines, in order to determine what your target audience members do and do not respond well to. Focus on things like number of shares, time spent on each article, number of clicks, bounce rates and so on. This way, you’ll have yourself something of a blueprint mapping out the most successful posts/titles for your blog.<br /><br /><b>Itemize Content</b><br />Variety is the spice of life – something that applies to blog management just as much as anything else. In order to ensure that you are providing your readers with sufficient variety, it’s good to get into the habit of itemising content. For example, establish headers like video tutorials, infographics, podcasts, lists, opinion pieces and so on, checking each month that each category has been given sufficient attention.<br /><br /><b>Strategize for Next Month</b><br /><br />Last but not least, once you have taken care of all of the above, you will have all the information you need to develop a near guaranteed winning strategy for next month. The worst thing you can do with any blog is to simply make things up as you go along. The more strategic you are and the more you base your strategies on the data you collect, the higher the likelihood of next month being even more successful for both your blog and your business.<br /></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-59251917960218489152018-07-26T01:06:00.002-07:002018-07-26T01:06:50.725-07:00Writer’s Block? Where to Look for Blog Post Inspiration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Every now and again, even the most committed and capable bloggers struggle to find inspiration. You’ve every intention of publishing another quality post, but can’t for the life of you decide what to write about. <br /><br />The problem being that this is usually the point where many bloggers simply throw out a load of old garbage to fill the vacant space. An inadvisable move that could compromise the quality and appeal of the entire blog. <br /><br />If struggling to pull inspiration out of thin air, the solution can often be found in a slightly more strategic approach. That being – knowing where to look to take inspiration from others.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uGkhk0rwF4/W1mA8_Ip6rI/AAAAAAAABnI/flYBXfzCKpA2PnCloj4zJG0t4rfxTqUlwCLcBGAs/s1600/article%2Bwriting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="343" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uGkhk0rwF4/W1mA8_Ip6rI/AAAAAAAABnI/flYBXfzCKpA2PnCloj4zJG0t4rfxTqUlwCLcBGAs/s320/article%2Bwriting.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div><br /><br />So if you find yourself struggling to come up with solid topic ideas for your next post, here are four places you’ll probably find all the inspiration you’ll ever need:<br /><br /><b>Other Blogs in Your Niche</b><br /><br />First up, there’s nothing wrong with seeking inspiration from the blogs of other businesses within your niche. However, the key to making it work lies in taking inspiration from a specific topic and doing something brand new with it in your own words. Simply ripping off your competitors wholesale is not the way to go about things. Feel free to sign up to as many mailing lists and newsletter subscription services as you like for regular inspiration in your mailbox every week.<br /><br /><b>Social Media</b><br /><br />Whatever line of work you’re in, social media is the very best place to find out what’s generating conversation among your target audience. Industry blogs and resources are one thing, but what’s making waves at ground level? Browse relevant groups and pages on the platforms of your choosing and you’ll soon discover the hottest topics to steer your posts in the right direction. And while you’re at it, feel free to join the conversation and boost your reach at the same time.<br /><br /><b>Colleagues and Employees</b><br /><br />Unless you’re a sole-trader of some kind, all the inspiration you’ll ever need could come from those in the immediate vicinity. Simply chatting with colleagues and employees can open the doors to all the inspiring ideas in the world for your posts. Not to mention, the benefits of seeing current topics, trends and discussions from an entirely different perspective. Even if you’re entirely bereft of inspiration, your colleagues and employees could be anything but. <br /><br /><b>Your Existing Content</b><br /><br />Last but not least, repurposing old content is a great way of dealing with writer’s block. The key in this instance being to take one of your better prior posts and approach the subject with a slightly different spin, or from an entirely different angle. You could turn a factual piece into an infographic, an instructional piece into a video tutorial or a popular blog post into a podcast. While it’s important not to simply copy your own work verbatim, there’s always plenty that can be done to extract maximum value from your existing content. </div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-80879516861180563282018-04-04T06:04:00.000-07:002018-04-04T06:04:02.542-07:00Google Latest Algorithm Tweak Shouldn’t Shock Anyone <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CX8JuLRHr0k/WsTNFqKFXuI/AAAAAAAABmg/jJfPVnzrKq0o0cN16_JrT27YawdsgI91QCLcBGAs/s1600/binarycode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="888" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CX8JuLRHr0k/WsTNFqKFXuI/AAAAAAAABmg/jJfPVnzrKq0o0cN16_JrT27YawdsgI91QCLcBGAs/s320/binarycode.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>These days, most online business owners keep a fairly close eye on their SERP rankings. Assuming they count on search engines to send traffic their way, their prominence or otherwise can make or break their businesses. The problem being that every now and then, many businesses bear the brunt of a sudden yet perhaps dramatic fall. <br /><br /><br />Falling down the rankings just a few positions can transform solid performance into near-zero performance in an instant. Particularly in the wake of major changes to Google’s search algorithm, it’s normal to see thousands of casualties on a global basis. But what many fail to realise is that outside these major changes, minor tweaks are made to Google’s indexation system all the time. <br /><br />Hundreds of them every year, in fact. <br /><br />So it’s technically no surprise that a couple of weeks ago, a fair few businesses and SEO analysts alike noticed slight changes to their respective sites’ performance. Nothing major, but the apparent algorithm tweak generated such huge discussion online that Google stepped away from tradition and broke silence on Twitter. <br /><br />“Each day, Google usually releases one or more changes designed to improve our results. Some are focused around specific improvements,” wrote a Google spokesperson on Twitter. <br /><br />“Some are broad changes. Last week, we released a broad core algorithm update. We do these routinely several times per year. As with any update, some sites may note drops or gains. There’s nothing wrong with pages that may now perform less well. Instead, it’s that changes to our systems are benefiting pages that were previously under-rewarded.”<br /><br />The obvious issue being that while they may have confirmed the change, they didn’t go into any detail at all regarding its nature. Neither did they offer any pearls of wisdom as to how to go about repairing the damage where necessary. <br /><br />“There’s no “fix” for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content,” Google stated.<br /><br />“Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages.”<br /><br />So once again, we find ourselves with countless businesses and website owners wondering why they’ve been punished. Or more importantly, what to do to reverse the damage. The thing is though, these kinds of changes really aren’t surprising at all. Nor should they be interpreted as punishments. <br /><br />As Google stated, a fall in the rankings doesn’t mean you’ve been punished to some extent or another. It simply means that something to do with your rivals’ websites that wasn’t previous awarded due credit has now been rewarded. So it’s not a case of repairing the damage – it’s a case of taking your own SEO strategy to the next level. <br /><br />Google’s rules have never changed…at least as far as their intentions are concerned. Serve you niche with a quality, content-rich and well-optimised website to feature prominently in the rankings. Fail to do so and your competitors will outperform you. <br /><br />Make it happen with a quality, long-term SEO strategy and you can ensure you stay one step ahead of both Google’s algorithm tweaks and those you’re looking to outperform.<br /></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-10104513246656178242018-03-06T03:27:00.000-08:002018-03-15T03:28:46.252-07:00Essential Marketing Stats from Mid-February <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div>It’s time once again to share a few interesting and important <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/">digital marketing</a> stats from the past couple of weeks. Whatever the size and nature of your business, you’ll hopefully find some kind of value in the following:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ljbbCr4RWN0/Wp5661PXTuI/AAAAAAAABmE/5ILLVmNAwVYvqsE1gO-V1oqBz8XPgEoSACLcBGAs/s1600/statistics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="743" height="104" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ljbbCr4RWN0/Wp5661PXTuI/AAAAAAAABmE/5ILLVmNAwVYvqsE1gO-V1oqBz8XPgEoSACLcBGAs/s320/statistics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><b>Right to be forgotten of interest to millions of Brits </b><br />First up, a recent study carried out by Mediatel found that up to a third (34%) of people in the United Kingdom are interested in exercising their ‘right to be forgotten’. What’s more, less than one in five companies are confident that personal data is handled and used responsibly, with 58% of consumers expressing concern regarding how much personal information is stored about them in general. If accurate, millions of Brits could issue requests to be forgotten over the coming years. </div><div><br /><b>Mobile apps driving stronger retail sales</b><br />According to Criteo, retailers that offer their customers mobile apps are seeing around half of online sales take place via mobile devices. While mobile devices are known to account for around 40% of online sales in Europe in general, the figure for the UK is much higher at 53%. Customers in many regions and demographics are demonstrating growing preference to dedicated mobile apps, above and beyond purchasing through mobile browsers. The biggest increases in mobile sales have been noted in luxury, fashion and health &amp; beauty sectors. </div><div><br /><b>Too much personalisation is a bad thing </b><br />Personalised emails and marketing messages can be extremely powerful. However, take things too far and you’ll be interpreted as creepy, sending your customers in entirely the wrong direction. A recent study found that around 75% of consumers find all types of personalisation at least a little unsettling, with 22% having said they’d refuse to use a brand that takes personalisation too far. On the whole, around 50% of respondents said they’d had at least one creepy experience with personalisation. </div><div><br /><b>Replying to online reviews is a must </b><br />New research from Harvard Business School shows that if looking to boost your brand’s overall rating, replying to reviews is an absolute must. Specifically, it was found that when hotels on TripAdvisor respond consistently to customer reviews, they in turn attract on average 12% more reviews and a star-rating boosted by 0.12 stars. Given that even the smallest of differences can have a huge impact when dealing with such huge competition, the findings of the study could prove highly significant.</div><div><br /><b>Global internet user population surpasses 4bn</b><br />Last but not least, we’ve now officially passed the 4 billion global internet user threshold for the first time in history. That is, according to a new report published by We Are Social and Hootsuite. This would mean that more than half of the entire global population is now online in one capacity or another. The study also found that the average Brit now spends around six hours online every single day, with more than 95% of the UK population using the internet.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-53082480648661080252018-02-03T05:45:00.000-08:002018-03-15T03:30:22.121-07:00A Fresh Roundup of the Latest Facts, Figures and Stats<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It’s the moment you have all been waiting for – our latest list of interesting and perhaps even useful statistics from the world of digital <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/">marketing</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mKqwdijNiPo/WnW8sk9tYJI/AAAAAAAABls/0n1kuuuiY-I4c-iSliwe_cEz_-GxuVg-QCLcBGAs/s1600/influencer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="936" height="92" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mKqwdijNiPo/WnW8sk9tYJI/AAAAAAAABls/0n1kuuuiY-I4c-iSliwe_cEz_-GxuVg-QCLcBGAs/s320/influencer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />65% of consumers are fed up with irrelevant communication<br /><br />First up, it seems you aren’t the only one who’s well and truly fed up with pointless messages. A recent study found that a full 87% of younger consumers said they’d be encouraged to shop with a company that personalises its special offers and discounts. At the other end of the scale, 65% of shoppers said they’ve had enough of retailers and businesses in general sending them generic and useless messages.<br /><br />46% of consumers have used social media to ‘call out’ brands<br /><br />Naming and shaming companies in the face of a negative encounter is apparently becoming more popular than ever. A recent study by a Sprout Social found that a whopping 56% of millennial audiences have taken to social media to publicly vent their frustrations about businesses they’ve dealt with. On the whole, 46% of consumers have done exactly the same.<br /><br />Consumers are switching to ethical utility brands<br /><br />Environmentally friendly attitudes and policies are apparently winning over more consumers than ever before. Along with 16% of shoppers saying they’d abandon a utility service provider if it was involved in some kind of scandal, 10% said they would definitely switch providers if a competitor proved to be more ethical in general.<br /><br />Email click-through rates fell last year<br /><br />Though it may be too much of a general statistic to hold any real value, a new report from the DMA found that email click-through rates last year experienced a notable decline. Compared to the year before, click-through rates fell from 1.8% to 1.6%. Nevertheless, the overall open-rate remained at around the same 14.2%.<br /><br />Two out of three luxury shoppers prefer to use mobile<br /><br />Anyone involved in high-end ecommerce should probably take note of the fact that the majority of luxury shoppers apparently prefer to shop via mobile devices. A full two out of three luxury shoppers preferring mobile, according to Content Square.<br /><br />Brands can benefit by avoiding or condemning Trump<br /><br />Last but not least, analysis of brand sentiment scores before and after political statements and messages would seem to suggest that negative sentiments towards President Donald Trump can be beneficial in a business sense. Both Intel and Under Armour have recently seen significant jumps in their respective brand sentiment scores – both occurring almost immediately after the company’s publicly took a strong stance in one way or another against the Trump administration.<br /><br />Since Under Armour’s CEO Kevin Plank revealed that he is to leave Donald Trump’s manufacturing council, the brand’s sentiment score has stood at a positive 89.4%.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-73020298228082389622018-01-12T07:41:00.001-08:002018-03-15T03:30:50.583-07:00Content Marketing: Why Is It So Effective?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><br />By this stage in time, you don’t need us or anyone else to tell you how important content marketing is. You may or may not be using it to its full potential, but still…chances are you know it’s a big deal.<br /><br />But have you ever stopped to ask the big question: why is content marketing so effective?<br /><br />With so many other approaches to digital marketing out there, why does content marketing top the table?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABkQ/ykZBkN_DkQcrwen2Q3KFiBEIIkmwhPTMACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/webcontent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABkQ/ykZBkN_DkQcrwen2Q3KFiBEIIkmwhPTMACPcBGAYYCw/s320/webcontent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />Two very important questions, for which there are thousands of deep and unnecessarily convoluted answers. In truth, the explanation as to why content marketing is so effective can be summed up in just two words:<br /><br />Value and influence.<br /><br /><b>Content of Value</b><br /><br />The basic principle of content marketing is one that focuses on value. Whatever kind of content you produce and regardless of who you are reaching out to, you need to provide them with something of value. This is the only way they will look beyond your content to the brand behind it, slowly but surely building a sense of trust. And they build a sense of trust because content of value has influence.<br /><br />Which in turn means that effective content marketing increases influence, which is just about the single most important thing a business can have plenty of.<br /><br />When you think about it, the most successful businesses the world over are built on influence. Overtime, they increase their influence to such an extent that their target audience members practically eat out of their hands. The greater their authority and influence in their niche, the more power they have to grow, evolve and vastly extend their customer base. <br /><br />You really only have to think of two brands to get the idea. One being a household name, the other being some random name you read on the packaging of an equally random product that you had never heard of. Which of the two would you be most likely to trust? Which would you be more likely to become a regular customer of? Or for that matter, give their product a try in the first place? More importantly, which would you recommend to your friends, family and colleagues?<br /><br />The answer is almost always the same – the company or brand with the greatest influence.<br /><br /><b>Influence Through Value</b></div><div><b></b><br />There is a direct correlation between creation of value and greater influence. That being, the more value you provide, the more your influence grows as a result. Once again, it’s a case of thinking about which brands and even individuals in your life have the greatest influence over you. The brand you are loyal to instinctively, the people you look up to and so on. Chances are, the reason these companies and individuals have so much influence over you and the decisions you make is because you value them.<br /><br />You may value what they do, what they stand for, the products they provide you with or anything else at all. Value breeds influence, which in turn breeds loyalty, which in turn breeds even greater influence. <br /><br />So to answer the question once again, content marketing works because it is just about the only approach to contemporary <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/seo-company-seo-consultant-seo-agency-seo-marketing-consultant">digital marketing</a> that focuses on value above and beyond everything else.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-65450677214439445252017-09-20T07:51:00.001-07:002018-03-15T03:31:26.577-07:00Using Brand Stories To Connect With Your Customers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">How can you ensure that the brand story you tell is one your customers will respond positively to?<br />The answer…well, there are of course enormous differences from one organisation to the next. Nevertheless, there are a few key strategic guidelines to follow, which can help in all instances.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNkvc6LLO_M/WcKAW8V8VNI/AAAAAAAABlI/6M0DdliUYQg4kQYMTQiwT_oH8huZsRMPACLcBGAs/s1600/branding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNkvc6LLO_M/WcKAW8V8VNI/AAAAAAAABlI/6M0DdliUYQg4kQYMTQiwT_oH8huZsRMPACLcBGAs/s320/branding.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><br />In fact, proceed in accordance with the following five steps and you may find it difficult to go wrong:<br /><br /><b>1. &nbsp;Show your customers, don’t just tell them</b><br />First of all, it is not simply enough to tell your customers X, Y and Z about your business. After all, you could just be saying it for the sake of winning them over. Instead, you need to think of appropriate ways and means by which you can show them, rather than tell them. Or in other words, demonstrate what your brand represents, how you do what you say you do and what it is that makes you different. These days, evidence speaks louder than all the words in the world.<br /><br /><b>2. &nbsp;Focus on long-term stories</b><br />It’s also a good idea to ensure that the brand story you tell is long-term or on-going in nature. The reason being that if it is only relevant and/or convincing for the time being, it may not have little value for your business. As with most <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/">marketing</a>, the focus should be on the long-term benefits for your business, as opposed to quick-fixes. What’s more, you should tell the type of story that you can and will continue to tell and update along the way. Think of the kinds of evergreen qualities that sell and the kinds of stories your customers will want to keep up to date with.<br /><br /><b>3. &nbsp;Be authentic</b><br />Or in other words, don’t think you can get away with faking it. Whatever type of story you decide to tell or persona you choose to assume, it needs to be authentic. &nbsp;Which is for two reasons – first of which being that most consumers can spot fakes miles away. But even if they don’t, you cannot expect to keep up a voice, attitude and façade that go against who you really are and what you really do. Sooner or later, the whole thing will come crashing down - hence it isn’t worth bothering with in the first place.<br /><br /><b>4. Grab their attention</b><br />You cannot expect your customers to delve too deeply into your story if there isn’t something to hook their attention early on. Attention spans these days are minimal at the best of times. Which means that no matter how deep and compelling your story is, you need to ensure you grab their attention as early on as possible. First get them hooked, then move on to the details.<br /><b><br /></b><b>5. Study their habits</b><br />Last but not least, the better you come to understand what makes your customers tick, the easier it will be to create compelling stories. Study their habits, get involved via social media and discover the kinds of subjects, voices and anything else that engages them. Not to mention, the kinds of things that generate discussion, or perhaps send them in entirely the wrong direction. This way, you will have nothing less than a blueprint for the creation of not only a great brand story, but the rest of the content you publish across the board.<br /><div><br /></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-76918593474370190682017-09-05T02:40:00.000-07:002018-03-15T03:32:29.965-07:004 Ways to Avoid E-Commerce Annihilation <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qT3dSV58pTQ/Wa5w3-H9pAI/AAAAAAAABkw/fkP6p2aG4OI_P9aG2E3R2UKul6vqURe-QCLcBGAs/s1600/ecommerce11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="574" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qT3dSV58pTQ/Wa5w3-H9pAI/AAAAAAAABkw/fkP6p2aG4OI_P9aG2E3R2UKul6vqURe-QCLcBGAs/s320/ecommerce11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nowadays, it’s often said that in order to be able to survive as a retailer, you need to get involved in the ecommerce revolution. But at the same time, it is hardly difficult to notice how the ecommerce field is already utterly and completely dominated by a few leading brands. Put simply, no matter what you want or need, chances are you’ll be able to easily pick it up from a leading name online.<br /><br /><br /><br />All of which seems to leave little space for smaller online brands, considering the David and Goliath struggle they usually face. But as far as the professionals are concerned, not all hope is lost. Quite to the contrary, as there are some ways and means by which focusing on what matters can assist any online store avoid complete annihilation by the ecommerce giants.<br /><br />1. Don’t Count on Low Prices Alone<br /><br />It is worth bearing in mind that most consumers value other elements of the service package above low prices. Amazing customer service, extremely reliable delivery times or just a brand with a story and ethos they can connect with. Surviving as a small ecommerce business means focusing on what it is that makes your brand both different and awesome from rivals.<br /><br />2. Be a Service Provider, Not Just a Vending Machine<br /><br />What this basically means is the way some online stores seem to exist like glorified vending machines, while others are exceptionally rich in engaging and useful content. The difference is that the large majority of web consumers respond significantly better to the latter. Therefore, it is crucial to make all efforts to build and <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/">market your business</a>and brand around so much more than products alone. You have to become an all-round service provider and an online authority your clients turn to for more than purchases alone.<br /><br />3. Get to Know Your Clients<br /><br />Loyalty schemes are both effective and important, with eMarketer recently revealing that next to 55% of web consumers admit that their spending habits are influenced by such programs. Nonetheless, it is once again crucial to go beyond the norm in order to be as competitive as possible. Provide regular e-mail updates, carry out surveys, request thoughts, reviews and opinions, find out what their priorities are. <br /><br />4. Stay Social <br /><br />Last up, you need to use every scrap of information you come across regarding your customers in terms of the content you create and your effort to maintain relationships. One of the most crucial pieces of the puzzle is that of staying social – making the most use of your social media channels and building one comprehensive online presence. It is not like the CEO of Amazon has the inclination or the time to get directly involved with customers via Twitter or Facebook. As a much more personal and small business, it’s very much something that you can do and hence should be doing.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-41257943420719175302017-07-10T03:27:00.001-07:002017-07-10T03:27:56.660-07:00Google and Bing Unite to Take Down Piracy Sites <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Though it is entirely against the law, piracy is nevertheless big business these days. The majority of people that participate in P2P file sharing aren’t out to make money, but simply to allow others to access their music, movies and so on in a way that infringes copyright law. At the same time, there are always those who make quite a bit of money from building and operating huge P2P file databases that are often making a killing in advertising revenues.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wrcAYjs4i0A/WWNWfHidZKI/AAAAAAAABkU/t7Uv9mPhBbISXYlstoPxD1fzpp_VzrePACLcBGAs/s1600/pirates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wrcAYjs4i0A/WWNWfHidZKI/AAAAAAAABkU/t7Uv9mPhBbISXYlstoPxD1fzpp_VzrePACLcBGAs/s320/pirates.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Suffice to say, it is a problem many artists, businesses and authorities all over the world are attempting to tackle. The only issue being that as it’s as simple as firing up your computer and accessing the website in question, that is precisely what millions are doing every day.<br />Nonetheless, this can all be set to change in the very near future as both Google and Bing have signed up to a new code of practice, after discussions with the UK government and representatives of the entertainment industry. Put simply, the two major search engines will start a process of demoting websites involved in piracy, in order to reduce the exposure of such websites.<br /><br />The agreement was reached with the music and film industry in talks organised by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The initiative also received the support of UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom, which is constantly looking for projects and programmes that can actively prevent users from accessing piracy websites.<br /><br />One of the biggest issues having always been the way the websites themselves plead innocent, given the way they don’t in fact share or host any files directly. This simply makes it easy for users to share their own files illegally.<br /><br />The project will be watched closely by the minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation, Jo Johnson, who underscored the importance of collaboration in order to crack down the escalating piracy problem.<br /><br />“Search engines play a vital role in helping consumers discover content online,” said Johnson. “It is essential that they are presented with links to legitimate websites and services, not provided with links to pirate sites,”<br /><br />“I am very pleased that the search engines and representatives of the creative industries have agreed this code. I look forward to this valuable collaboration benefiting both the UK’s digital and creative sectors,”<br /><br />Additionally, digital and culture minister Matt Hancock stated that the United Kingdom must fulfil its responsibility to set the right example and to also ensure that users and businesses are sufficiently protected.<br /><br />“Pirate sites deprive artists and rights holders of hard-earned income and I’m delighted to see industry-led solutions like this landmark agreement which will be instrumental in driving change,” he said.<br /><br />“As we build a more global Britain we want the UK to be the most innovative country to do business, and initiatives such as this will ensure our creative and digital economies continue to thrive.”</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-84559172010531155212017-06-03T02:01:00.000-07:002018-03-15T03:34:25.871-07:00Creation Vs Collation: The Value of Unique Copy <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />When it comes to website development, pretty much anyone can source fresh content from elsewhere and publish it on their own website. Which is, more often than not, exactly what the majority of website owners do. From news pieces to relevant articles to videos and images, you have to ask: how much of all this content did you create from scratch, on your own?<br /><br />If the answer gravitates towards very little or none, don’t be too upset – you’re quite far from in the minority. Nevertheless, you can definitely do with changing this somewhat, given the way original copy is significantly more valuable than redistributing existing copy.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABj8/DQaMee_F0FwGdXwz_8GK35h66geIzx7cwCLcB/s1600/webcontent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u_YTkh2WmWA/WTJ7bWoPchI/AAAAAAAABj8/DQaMee_F0FwGdXwz_8GK35h66geIzx7cwCLcB/s320/webcontent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Naturally, the former of the two is quite trickier to come up with – especially if you’re not brimming with ideas or inspiration. However, making the effort and investing plenty of time and effort into some original copy can help deliver much more impressive results when it comes customer loyalty and engaging than simply sticking with content collation.<br /><br />So, bearing this in mind, here is a short overview of a few simple guidelines for creating outstanding and entirely original content, in order to offer your website visitors something that will boost their engagement:<br /><br />First up, updating your website blog regularly is one of the most efficient ways of keeping your website topped up with fresh content at all times. When it comes to actually creating blog posts, rather than just republishing article pieces and news stories, add your own voice into the mix. Or, put simply, bring relevant stories and articles to the attention of your web visitors, but do so in an editorial manner.<br /><br />Another great way of providing more unique copy to your site is to invite other people to offer their stories and insights. When it comes to informative resources, blog posts and interesting news stories, adding some new voices into the mix can be extremely valuable.<br /><br />Telling an interesting story is found to be one of the most effective ways of promoting a real sense of engagement with a target audience. Rather than just bombarding your readers with facts and figures, more often than not it could be more beneficial to tell them a story. Given the fact that you’re (or at least should be) 100% original and unique, this should also results in completely original and unique content.<br /><br />Another great way of creating unique copy is to get into the habit of writing and <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/marketing-company-reviews-marketing-consultant-testimonials">publishing reviews</a>. But instead of just rewriting the reviews of other people, carry out your personal research and share your findings, thus inviting feedback from your readers. Even if they don’t agree with your views, it’s guaranteed to bolster discussion and engagement.<br /><br />Last up, if you can get into the habit of frequently posting Q&amp;A sessions with people of relevance to your line of work, go for it! It’s usually as simple as asking a bunch of questions to a person of interest with respect to what you do, in order to be provided with the kind of solid gold copy that can work wonders for your site. </div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-9044138200818108602017-05-06T01:30:00.001-07:002018-03-15T03:34:59.709-07:00When Can I See Content Marketing Results?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As much as you probably hate hearing “It depends” in a response to “When will I start seeing the results of my <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/seo-company-seo-consultant-seo-agency-seo-marketing-consultant">content marketing</a>?”, the simple fact of the matter is that marketers hate saying that even more. Unfortunately, sometimes it is indeed the only true answer.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j8Y6aSiBaaU/WQ2JmEgdw3I/AAAAAAAABjM/H8n0PK8m4ts0kqhrrOregiTy32R86uc9ACLcB/s1600/contentmarketing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j8Y6aSiBaaU/WQ2JmEgdw3I/AAAAAAAABjM/H8n0PK8m4ts0kqhrrOregiTy32R86uc9ACLcB/s320/contentmarketing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />But if the questions won’t ease up until you receive at least a ballpark estimate, then the answer is more often than not six to nine months. Naturally, there will always be brands that see results before this time and others who will need to wait longer than nine months. Put simply, it depends.<br />In a time when we have all grown quite used to instant gratification, this answer could be a hard number to swallow. But as common sense usually dictates “Nothing worthwhile is easy.”<br /><br /><b>What Factors Impact the Time Between Execution of Content Marketing and Its Results?</b><br />Two different categories of variables will affect the timeline of content marketing – those you have control over and those you have no control over.<br /><br /><b>What CAN I Control?</b><br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The time and budget you’re willing to invest<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Your Goals<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Your strategy<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How frequently you publish content<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How you measure success and failure<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How well you promote your content<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The level of quality of your content<br /><br /><b>What CAN’T I Control?</b><br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The marketplace<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The economy<br />•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What your competition is doing<br /><br />As you could see, while there is a handful of factors you cannot govern, there are many more things that you can. To increase your chances of success and to have a more predictable timeline, you will need to establish a plan for each of these elements.<br /><br /><b>Here Is What to Do:</b><br />1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Choose your specific goals. You are certainly free to use industry standards as a starting point, but no brand is exactly like yours, which simply means that no brand will have the same precise objectives. Choose the goals that will make the most sense for your brand.<br />2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Evaluate your resources. Be realistic about how much money and time you are able to dedicate to content marketing. If you need to outsource, then do it. Don’t try to bite more than you can chew.<br />3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Determine your strategy. Again, you are free to research and study the best practices, but your strategy will need to be your own. What has worked for another brand will not necessarily work for you. Think about your specific resources and goals.<br />4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Consider measurement criteria. Know what defines a win and what constitutes a loss. Any vagueness will make it very difficult to optimize your campaign.<br />5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Set the publishing frequence. Ensure you post often enough to keep your audiences interested, but not so often that there is no way for them to keep up. Try to engage them, but don’t overwhelm them.<br />6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Get the word out. All of the best content in the world doesn’t mean anything if there is nobody that knows about it. Post on social media platforms, use PPC campaigns where necessary and create relationships with industry leaders who are able to promote your content to their specific audiences.</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-77183714387842094532017-04-02T01:16:00.000-07:002018-03-15T03:35:17.788-07:00How Will the Face of SEO Change in 2017?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div>The beginning of the new year usually raises a variety of questions as to precisely what will happen in the SEO field over the next 12 months. SEO’s landscape has changed dramatically over recent years, but it remains every bit as crucial and powerful as it ever was. The major search engines are obviously not going anywhere, which means the same could be said for SEO.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6NnCevFvJI/TmOyvPzIOMI/AAAAAAAAAVU/ZUcnADnERxYB4sFZe3oY8bHzwG17rxbXQCPcB/s1600/SEOTools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6NnCevFvJI/TmOyvPzIOMI/AAAAAAAAAVU/ZUcnADnERxYB4sFZe3oY8bHzwG17rxbXQCPcB/s320/SEOTools.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br />So as far as the professionals are concerned, what are the predictions for 2017 when it comes to SEO?</div><div><br /><b>1. Better Mobile Websites</b><br />The first and most crucial priority seems set to be to a large extent similar to that of 2016. That being, to offer increasingly sophisticated and improved mobile websites for the growing mobile market. The only difference this year being that just satisfying mobile clients with a basic responsive webpage will just not be enough. Instead, the future of you webpage’s SEO prowess will depend on enhanced and improved mobile focus.</div><div><br /><b>2. Intensive Analysis and Measurements</b><br />Along with <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/seo-company-seo-consultant-seo-agency-seo-marketing-consultant">SEO</a> techniques and tools in general, available methods of analysing and measuring the success of SEO strategies are becoming more sophisticated than ever before. Which in turn means that one major SEP trend in 2017 will lie in meticulously and consistently monitoring each effort made, as and when it is made. This way, no time and efforts are wasted on SEO strategies that are unlikely to deliver results. </div><div><br /><b>3. Increase in Long-form Content</b><br />Along with long-form keyword phrases and keywords, long-form content also represents a major element of modern SEO. Along with meeting the requirements of the search engines, long-form content also instils a sense of authority and trust among website visitors. It means having to put a bit more effort into producing the content, but what you get in return more than justifies the outlay.</div><div><br /><b>4. Responding to Customer Experience</b><br />While SEO might traditionally have been entirely objective – focusing on statistics and numbers – SEO in 2017 will see much more focus on the overall user experience, but instead using actual user encounters to build effective strategies. The reason being that nowadays, the longer users stay on your site, the more pages they view and the more often they come back, the better the rankings you can expect as a result.</div><div><br /><b>5. Regular Audits</b><br />Last but not least, just revisiting an SEO strategy every six months or so to determine its effectiveness is simply not enough anymore. The trouble is, the fact that rankings volatility has been reduced as of late has led many web developers and business owners into a false state of security. They create an SEO strategy that seems to be working and leave it to its devices. Nonetheless, the only way to stay ahead of the curve is to carry out an audit strategy on a monthly basis, in order to be able to eliminate anything that you might be wasting your money and time on.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-43739697337561677562017-02-12T02:18:00.000-08:002018-03-15T03:35:48.423-07:00HTTPS Sites Now Account for One Third of Page-One Rankings <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div>According to the results of a new study carried out by Moz, more than 32% of all results to make it to the front page of Google are websites that use the HTTPS protocol. A blog post was published this week which highlighted data gathered the over the past two years, ever since the August 2014 announcement from Google that HTTPS would become a light ranking signal. </div><div><br />Suffice to say, the findings should definitely serve as food for thought for those working in <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/seo-company-seo-consultant-seo-agency-seo-marketing-consultant">search engine optimisation</a> when it comes to making the decision as to whether or not shifting to the secure HTTPS should be considered.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xLlFJt-mnFg/WKA2N_VthvI/AAAAAAAABic/ORPGHPX7-nkKDXtoXTvv_X3p4n8HzdPZwCLcB/s1600/https.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xLlFJt-mnFg/WKA2N_VthvI/AAAAAAAABic/ORPGHPX7-nkKDXtoXTvv_X3p4n8HzdPZwCLcB/s320/https.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br />For those unfamiliar with exactly what HTTPS is all about, perhaps the simplest description of all of in a comparative sense was provided by Jim Yu:</div><div><br />“HTTP is the standard form used when accessing websites. HTTPS adds an additional layer of security by encrypting in SSL and sharing a key with the destination server that is difficult to hack.”<br />And as for the announcement made by Google back in the summer of 2014, here’s what they had to say about HTTPS:</div><div><br />“We’re starting to use HTTPS as a ranking signal. For now, it’s only a very lightweight signal, affecting fewer than 1% of global queries, and carrying less weight than other signals, such as high-quality content.”</div><div><br />Google would go on to make the promise that the importance of HTTPS in their views and actions would continue to grow, in order to work towards a safer worldwide web for the future. Given the results published this week by Moz, it looks like they weren’t kidding.</div><div><br />As of right now, evidence seems to suggest that sites using the HTTPS protocol account for no less than a full third of all the results that turn up in the first page of Google’s SERP rankings. Dr. Pete – the chap responsible for the study – was adamant to point out however that while it may immediately come across as an algorithm change, it could also simply be that more webmasters and developers than ever before are following Google’s advice and using the HTTPS protocol.</div><div><br />“They’ve successfully led search marketers and site owners to believe that HTTPS will be rewarded, and this has drastically sped up the shift.”</div><div><br />To be frank, if there’s anything your web business can be doing right now to up security standards for the sake of the customers, it’s something you absolutely should be doing. Not only for their physical protection from harm, but also because it immediately illustrates and demonstrates the strongest regard for their welfare on your part. </div><div><br />Which is, in no uncertain terms, becoming one of the most important deciding factors when consumers decide who they do and do not do business with. </div><div><br />Claiming to tick all the right boxes in terms of security is one thing – proving it is something else entirely. In the case of HTTPS, it’s a small transition that could add up to a big difference in more ways than one. </div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-70897883966241840372017-01-14T00:57:00.000-08:002018-03-15T03:36:09.434-07:00How to Instantly Improve Your Local SEO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><br />It’s probably safe to say that most people these days are aware of the importance of local landing pages. As part of a wider web marketing strategy, local landing pages are known to have a direct and enormous impact on everything from bounce rates to conversions.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Piqmz7vZTvE/WHnnugoS4hI/AAAAAAAABiA/w478ZeIVXpc35C_WJuY-JsuYFw5Ygi_igCLcB/s1600/SEOAndMagnifyingGlass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Piqmz7vZTvE/WHnnugoS4hI/AAAAAAAABiA/w478ZeIVXpc35C_WJuY-JsuYFw5Ygi_igCLcB/s320/SEOAndMagnifyingGlass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><br />But at the same time, evidence has also shown that so many are getting things entirely wrong with their own local landing pages. It may take some time and effort to bring things up to speed, but those willing to do so may well note immediate and impressive improvement.<br /><br /><b>Individual City Pages </b><br /><br />For example, if you are in the habit of using the same template for each local landing page with the relevant city or town slotted in where appropriate, it’s a habit to think about breaking. Not only does this kind of duplicate copy wreak havoc with your <a href="http://www.jenkinsonassoc.co.uk/seo-company-seo-consultant-seo-agency-seo-marketing-consultant">SEO performance</a>, but it also gives your visitors the impression that you couldn’t be bothered providing them with a targeted, individual city page. Which is, when you think about it, pretty true. Take the time to create unique pages of genuine value and interest for each area you operate in and your visitors are guaranteed to respond favourably.<br /><br /><b>Unique Content </b><br /><br />Just to reemphasise that point once again, unique content when it comes to individual local landing pages does not mean spun or rephrased versions of your other landing pages. Once again, this is the kind of thing that is absolutely guaranteed to turn off those who coin on to what you’re doing. You might get away with it with Google, but most probably not with your customers…who are quite a lot more important.<br /><br /><b>Answer Their Question</b><br /><br />Think of the question, problem or need that’s in the head of the customer when they arrive at your website. Put yourself in their position and think about exactly what you would want and expect by way of an answer or solution. Then, make absolutely sure that your landing page gives them what they need. And just in case it doesn’t, you absolutely must ensure that your contact details are presented prominently, completely and accurately.<br /><br /><b>Caution with Links</b><br /><br />It’s important to be cautious when it comes to the links you use or choose not to use on your local landing pages. The reason being that the more links you present pointing to other sites and pages, the more likely it is that new arrivals will get the impression they have not in fact landed on the page they require. Links in abundance can be distracting and discouraging, taking attention away from your key message and points of importance.<br /><br /><b>Local Content </b><br />Last but not least, always take things one step further by injecting some genuine local content of relevance into your localised landing pages. It could be something cultural that will strike a chord with the local community, perhaps testimonials and reviews from those living in this specific area, images of you doing whatever it is you do in the area in question or really anything else that generates a sense of authenticity. Which is in every respect the keyword you should be working in accordance with – ‘authentic’.</div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162186561558349897.post-12536064926171011122016-12-03T01:19:00.000-08:002016-12-03T01:19:51.853-08:00A Few Key Points Regarding Human Raters at Google <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> 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Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Mention"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Smart Hyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Hashtag"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style><![endif]-->Contrary to popular belief, not all that goes on behind the scenes with regard to Google’s SERP rankings is controlled by machines. Instead, there is also a bank of professional human raters at work, charged with the task of determining search results quality. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-terXmHSRlus/WEKN6ZV1W6I/AAAAAAAABhg/MPLxx1kK_v8weCFnskLgU-Vu_AyJwPfZgCLcB/s1600/peopleoncomputers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-terXmHSRlus/WEKN6ZV1W6I/AAAAAAAABhg/MPLxx1kK_v8weCFnskLgU-Vu_AyJwPfZgCLcB/s320/peopleoncomputers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />In terms of what such individuals are looking for, a document was recently leaked detailing the guidelines provided by Google – some key examples extracted and takeaways from the document including the following:<br /><br />1. Human raters have no influence over SERP rankings themselves, but instead help Google determine future algorithm tweaks. Which in turn means that no matter what a rater thinks of your website, it will not have a direct impact on its position in the rankings in the immediate moment.<br /><br />2. There are three factors taken into account by raters when it comes to determining the quality of a page – trustworthiness, authoritativeness and expertise.<br /><br />3. The primary purpose of human raters is to determine whether or not the results successfully met the needs of the searcher. They work with complex analytics and the sites themselves to evaluate Google’s own algorithms, in terms of performance and accuracy.<br /><br />4. One of the most important things taken into account by raters is whether or not the site is mobile-friendly – those that are not instantly fail. Google has been paying greater attention to mobile-friendly site content as of late than ever before – a trend set to continue indefinitely.<br /><br />5. Length of content only has any relevance if the content itself is of comprehensive value and relevance. Expanding word count just for the sake of it does not bring the page any additional value in the eyes of Google.<br /><br />6. Google is beginning to pay much closer attention than ever before to the kind of supplementary content that either takes away from the value of the page or is simply distracting. This includes unnecessary pop-ups.<br /><br />7. The vast majority of solid websites are rated as ‘medium’ which is actually a decent accomplishment. You have to do something particularly special to achieve a higher rating.<br /><br />8. One highly important point for those selling services or products is to make the company’s contact details as clear and obvious as possible. It should not be necessary to look for them and the required information should appear on multiple pages.<br /><br />9. Google is also continually showing growing preference to websites that display customer feedback. Quite simply, the more reviews, recommendations and items of customer feedback you collect, the better for your overall SEO performance.<br /><br />10. The smallest details can have the biggest impact when it comes to the way in which a website is interpreted by Google – spelling mistakes and grammatical errors rarely going overlooked.<br /><br />11. Scrapped content never slips under Google’s radar and should therefore be avoided at all costs. Breaking the rules may not lead to an immediate drop in the rankings, but could prompt a manual site inspection that may lead to penalisation.<br /><br /> </div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730143392777624619noreply@blogger.com0